The Homecoming
by Broken Antler in Winter
Summary: A Renegade returns to the home he was nurtured in to face the people he abandoned, and learns of the mess he left behind. Otherwise known as a Renegade AU one-shot I wrote for reasons. Other-times-2-wise known as Bruce and Dick talking, about stuff. "Five years, huh? It's been a long, long time."


**This is a weird AU one-shot I wrote for reasons. About airports, conversations, and an alternate universe hinted at but never deeply explored. Renegade AU. And stuff. May or may not add a second chapter that explains things a little more deeply. (Remember, 'or may _not').__  
_**

* * *

The teen walks up to the older man and smiles weakly, a pleading glint in his eyes. The usual hum of activity in the Gotham International Airport dulls their conversation, but one can still hear it. The teen, obviously just off the plane, holds up arm and waves, while the older man nods. The dynamic seems heavily strained, but that's expected for most fathers and sons, and this seems just like the norm.

The son slings his bag over his shoulder and runs to meet his father, and when he gets close, he seems to wish to embrace the man, yet, for some reason, decides against it.

"Five years, huh?" the teen says, with a hint of wistfulness. "It's been a long, long time."

Another airplane takes off, presumably for Metropolis, and the sound barely reaches the other side of the soundproof glass. Neither of them make a move to sit down or to leave, and the son hands his father a USB.

The man stares at the small device in his fingertips, before asking, "Five years, and that's _all of it_. Things have changed around here, I'm sure you've heard from your 'sources'."

The son sighs and runs a hand through his hair, which seems long and shaggy, as if the last time it was cared for was months or even years ago. And that's true. "I've heard more than I wanted to, truth be told, and I don't plan on having to learn about these things from the news and radio any longer. There are so many things I _know _you aren't letting them report, and I don't want to be the last to know. How's the kid you were training turning up to be? Jason?"

"Jason is dead, died a year ago. Timothy Drake has taken up the name." The answer is clipped, and maybe the man speaking doesn't want to say anymore. Raw and better left alone.

"W-What? Damn...I never _thought, _y'know? Never _knew._ Wilson wasn't allowing me enough breathing space have any contact with our...community, he always had suspicions on whether or not I really turned. Rumors were just rumors, and it wasn't like the bird didn't resurface on the news a few months later...it wasn't like the clown didn't boast before." His voice is more dejected than before, with a sense of loss, the type that only happens when someone loses all the chances they once had. "How...how did it happen?"

Grimacing, the older man says, "Warehouse. Crowbar. Explosion. Simple arithmetic_, really_."

The teen winces, and steps backwards from the man, as if reeling from some sort of invisible attack. As he looks up from his feet, he asks, "When did you find out? Did Kal tell you? Did you ever think it was..."

"Real? No. Idiotic, reckless, and amateur, yes. After five years on field, I expected better. Going with the mercenary devastated the...community. It struck morale. Inefficiency resulted, as did unnecessary injuries. You should have called for support. It damaged the systems, the name was always a symbol."

"You've told me before, it was one of the first things, how to conduct myself..." And it seems like all that he speaks of is worlds and worlds away.

"You did not consider the consequences. We had contingencies for the circumstances. League. Team. Gotham." The voice used was one of severity and without emotion. "Especially the Team."

"How is the Team now? Are there any new people? Could I meet with them sometime? I know how it happened was messy, and...if there was a chance I could explain..." Everything speaks of remorse, but it's nothing unusual, everyone young has made mistakes that they can never take back, things that can never be forgiven, or maybe should not ever be. No matter what.

With no hesitation, the man speaks bluntly, "Gordon, Logan from Qurac, a new Beetle, Karen Beecher and Mal Duncan from Kent's high school, Tim, and many more. Each and every one of them have been told stories of your deceit, the most heinous act of all. Irresponsible. You have neglected your place in the Team and neglected Gotham due to your questionable plan."

"Questionable, that's one way to put it."

For the first time in the conversation, the man hesitates before he speaks, as if suddenly unsure. "Things changed. The Team will want to know why you did it. Dinah will want to know."

He bites his bottom lip and smiles bleakly, gaze tracing patterns in the floor. "It was for the mission." And everything tastes bitter now.

* * *

_Nightwing comes to Mount Justice and everything's changed. They look to him with suspicion, even in a new uniform of Kryptonian roots that symbolizes a new beginning. Suppose it doesn't matter to them. They hate him, they love him, they wish they still thought he was dead. He was the dead Robin until he became the traitor and they'll never forget. He has no friends anymore, except Kaldur who knows and remembers why they do this, but also knows all of Renegade's deeds._

_And maybe it's all the worse because he can't convince himself that it wasn't worth it. It was, he saved lives with that USB and the information sent to Kaldur. It just came at the price of who he was. And maybe it isn't his right to assume he can just walk back in and be who he was again. _

_T__hings are falling apart at his fingertips, or maybe they already did._

* * *

**Interpret this AU any way you want. I actually have no idea where this was going from the beginning. Just Bruce and Dick having a conversation at the airport and talking about stuff and Bruce for once not saying, "VENGEANCE JUSTICE I AM THE NIGHT," but that's only because they're in a public place ("Stop it Bruce, everyone's staring!"). How it turned into a Renegade AU, I do _not _know. **

**Just so you know, he _did _succeed in the mission. And did some questionable things...(cue unrelated epilogue)**

* * *

_"Nightwing. Who is this?"_

_"Oh, this is Rose Wilson. Batman, Rose. Rose, Batman."_

_"Deathstroke's..."_

_"Daughter, yeah. She's joining the Team."_

* * *

**Yeah, picking up strays is a Batfam talent. **


End file.
